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Friday, February 29, 2008

Thank you all for your well wishes and prayers! You guys are so great! You know how you're always thanking me for making you laugh or making you feel better? Well, it works the other way around too! You guys always make me feel so much better! :)We're all on the mend here. No more fevers and no one has thrown up since (knocking REALLY hard on wood) two nights ago.

Last night I dreamt that I was pregnant. I must have been delirious with fever.

Savannah came home from school today with a project for her health class. She's to keep track of all the bad words (stupid, idiot, shut up, buttmunch) she hears this weekend. After being home for all of two hours, her notebook was full. I'm so proud.

Because Austin was puking and fevery yesterday, he stayed home from school today. So Austin lay there on the couch watching cartoons with his little brother and sister. Austin is the kind of kid who cannot watch cartoons without pointing out all the little idiosyncrasies he sees.

"Why doesn't Little Bear wear clothes? His parents wear clothes. Why does he run around naked all day?"

"Austin, it's a show about talking animals. A little girls hangs out in the forest with an assortment of talking wildlife and that's ok, but the fact that Little Bear doesn't wear clothes bothers you?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"How can Spongebob go to the beach when he's already under water?"

"So the whole talking sponge, starfish, crab, and squid are ok? A squirrel who somehow built a dome under water and lives in the ocean is ok, but the fact that Spongebob goes to the beach under water is absurd?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Where are Max and Ruby's parents? Why aren't they ever on the show?"

"For real? The whole 'talking bunnies who can take a bus to the store by themselves' is fine and dandy, but the fact that their parents are never shown is troubling to you?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What on earth is Uniqua?!?!?!"

"OK. ya got me there. I have no idea what she's supposed to be! What on earth IS Uniqua?!"

According to creator Janice Burgess, Uniqua is just her. “Uniqua is her name, and also her species – with her purple skin, pink spots, and dainty antennae, she doesn’t look like any other creature on the planet.”

Dawn!! Dreaming you are pregnant... hmmm. Any reason to pee on the stick? :)I know you just wrote about how difficult pregnancy is for you, but darn, you have the prettiest babies, the sweetest, funniest kids, and the best stories in the world to tell about them. A pregnancy blog authored by you would be, well, enormously entertainng.

This is my first comment, but I am a big fan of your blog and read it every day. LOVE IT!

I am SO with you guys on this one. I have always wondered the same thing. My kids (7, almost 6, and 4.5) who can usually answer things very accurately for me didn't have an answer for this. Let us know if you find out. Lol.

I too wonder how Spongebob can go to the beach. And why are they worried about falling from heights - they're in the water. And how do they build fires down there? Things that make you go hmmm..... :-)

First--glad you're all better! Oh how I used to love when "the sickness" would go through my 6 kids. I just tried not to breathe when I had to clean up...or look....Anyway, I have a better question for Austin. How can SpongeBob and Patrick drown?! One episode they were at a lake I think (which also boggles the mind...a lake...in the ocean) and SpongeBob was a lifeguard and Patrick was drowning and SpongeBob couldn't go save him because he couldn't swim...but somehow he ended up in the water and he was drowning, too...so the real lifeguard has to save them. There is a downside to babysitting my granddaughter....too much SpongeBob!

I understand the questions you are asked by your kids because I am the mom and ask my daughter questions. It is a way to show that it is a cartoon and not real.

So I asked my daughter where Max and Ruby's parents were and my Savannah, age 5, answered matter of fact, " Their parents are dead mom, like the Mom's in the Disney movies. Kids live good without parents, it's fun." Like she knows.

Sad huh?!?

But I always ask her questions like your son asks you, and every time I get a smarty pants answer.

Glad you're feeling better. Funny how once it's over, it's over (aside from the pile of puked-on linens in front of the washer); but while it is all going on, I can't remember what "real" life is like.

I used to do the same thing with the cartoons. I always had a problem with Goofy and Pluto. They were both dogs but somehow Goofy figured out how to talk and walk upright. I love spongebob. The first time I saw him go to a beach with waves and everything I couldn't stop laughing. Or when he had a fire and he poured a bucket of water on it to put it out, hilarious.

I had the same problem when I started reading in school. Did anybody else read Astro books, he was an alien. I would read somthing like, "See Astro and the ball." This gave me problems. My thoughts were, "Yes he has a ball, I can see that because there is a picture of him and the ball, why would somebody tell me that if I can already tell he has a ball from the picture, and why do I need to read about him having a ball if he isn't going to do anything with it."

I don't know if I should feel embarrassed or proud, but my other half and I were *just* having a conversation about why Max & Ruby don't have parents. There are a lot of popular cartoons right now involving parentless children.

I've heard theories on quniqua that she's either a lady bug or an ant. Most people though are saying that she's her own unique creature hence the name...There's some really good blogs devoted to this show, like actual blogs written by adults. I stumbled oon them trying to figure out who does the voices for the characters.

we have been wondering what Uniqua is for ages... so far my kids have guessed a lady bug who took off her wings, a slug with polka dots and a caterpillar in the midst of changing into a spotted butterfly. My husband suggested a pink spotted alien. Why a pink spotted alien would be on a show with talking animals is beyond me.

My son wanted to know why Sponge Bob couldn't just swim since he's under water anyway. Why indeed.

My other son wanted to know why Caillou has no hair. I told him that he shaved it all off. But in my head I thought "because the creators of the show are confused".

I personally want to know why all the children in cartoons have insanely huge heads. Why? Wouldn't they just fall right over? And how would you get them dressed? And why does a preschooler named Dora get to travel the world without her parents and only a talking monkey wearing read boots to keep her company?

So even at 30yrs I have the same darn questions. Really why are Max & Ruby's parents never on? As far as the Backyardigans go what are any of them really? And don't get me started on Spongebob, I got my dad hooked on it, you should hear him howl at the ridiculous stuff on that cartoon. He admitted to watching it even when my boys aren't there. I'd say Austin had it right, those are all good questions....

When the show first came out, this was a big discussion among my fellow moms. We went to the internet for our answers. The writer/creator said that Uniqua is both her name AND her species! So, she's a uniqua!

Austin is a man after my own heart! I just read another blog yesterday talking about Max and Ruby being parentless. I guess I never watched it close enough to notice. My girls think Uniqua is some sort of bug but they are stumped, too.

I read your blog every day but have never posted until now. I am glad you are on the mend. I have prayed for you and your family everyday since I read you are all sick. I am also one that doesn't do vomit (we're talking severe emetephobia here!) and it sounded like a nightmare to me. Glad you are doing better!

Go, Austin! The Max and Ruby orphan/abandonment thing has bothered me for awhile (but Grandma does live close enough to come for tea parties, so that's something, right? Where is DCF when you need them?), and I have YET to find anyone who can tell me what/who Uniqua is. All the other Backyardigans are recognizable animals (no pants there either, unless they're in the middle of an imaginary journey that requires them), and yay Disney channel for promoting acceptance and diversity, but seriously, WHAT THE HECK IS SHE and from what planet does she come?

When I ask my own kids, they look at me funny, as if to say, "Why does it matter?" (but they're way younger than Austin and don't really analyze their surroundings too closely yet). The closest I can figure is she's a hippo from outer space--a planet that encourages voice lessons from an early age (man, I'd kill for her pipes).

Another one...Why don't the animals on "Arthur" eat each other? I think they did a show once where Brain made fun of a fake TV show based on Arthur and he asked the same question, as well as why don't they eat twigs and such in the cafeteria, but it sill is weird every time I see the show that the cats don't try to take out the rodents. Just saying.

Maybe I think too much.

Glad you're all on the road to recovery...I was so worried when you didn't post for awhile! I hope you realize how many people are hooked on their "Daily Dose of Dawn." Thanks so much for making my morning each day.

Good Morning Dawn:))Glad to read you are all on the mend. It's nasty when that kind of bug hits a household, especially one as large as yours. Ask Austin this... If Donald Duck never wears pants, why does he always wrap a towel around his waist when he gets out of the shower?

Oh forgot to give a guess about Uniqua... she is a pink polka dotted part pig, part???? No clue, my kiddo doesn't watch cartoons much anymore. Ask me anything about Hannah Montana though and I'll be happy to answer!

Here's another: Why does Franklin have a name but everyone else is called by their animal name, Bear, Snail, Beaver etc...

How are Dora and Diego allowed to go so far away from home without adult supervision?

I see all kinds of "unique" names as a teacher so Uniqua's name doesn't surprise me. At least it is pronounced the way it is spelled. I have had some names that when you try to pronounce them the first time, you butcher it. Then the student fets all upset that you mispronounced their name.

I've been reading your blog since your E-bay auction quite a few months ago. You bring so much humor to my days! I have never posted a comment before, but I couldn't resist today. I had to post because I actually know what Uniqua is supposed to be. I had this very question myself awhile back, so being the internet dork that I am, I googled it. This is straight from Wikipedia.org, "Much controversy has been raised over what species she belongs to. Suggestions included a ladybug (due to her pink polka dots), an ant (due to her antennae), and even an alien. But actually, she is a unique creature that is unlike any other in the world, and Uniqua is also the name of her species.[5] She has been called simply "Uniqua, the pink" in Knights Are Brave and Strong." :)

I'm glad you guys are on the mend, I have been battling the flu for over 2 weeks now. Thankfully, I'm the only one who has gotten it here (knock on wood).

From Wikipedia:"Much controversy has been raised over what species she belongs to. Suggestions included a ladybug (due to her pink polka dots), an ant (due to her antennae), and even an alien. But actually, she is a unique creature that is unlike any other in the world, and Uniqua is also the name of her species.[5] She has been called simply "Uniqua, the pink" in Knights Are Brave and Strong."

We have the SAME questions about Little Bear! (And my husband and I have admittedly wondered if a fox took off with Max & Ruby's mom & dad.) Our most burning question, though, is why, when Emily (from Little Bear) is being her bossy, whiny self, doesn't little bear say, "Listen sister, I'm a BEAR. We're going to play it MY way this time. I don't care what your little doll wants to do today."(?)

My guess is she is a giant bug or a giraffe with a really short neck. I hope someone out there actually knows.

Glad to hear all are on the mend. So sorry about the bed incident. I can't think of anything worse waking up to than puke all over!

Cartoons - I used to, and still do, feel uncomfortable about Porky Pig wearing a top but no pants. The same with Donald Duck!

A pregnant dream is just as bad as a naked dream. Your waitressing dream makes me think maybe you have too much on your plate. I once dreamt I had tickets to a Cowboys game, drove there from St. Louis, and then realized I had left the tickets at home and had to drive back to get them. I chalked it up to too much "TaxiMom."

I'm going to bet Uniqua is a bug, but which kind? A pink ladybug is my vote, or at least a beetle. I'm glad your kids have good taste... ok, never mind. Spongebob is banned unless my kids are at someone else's house. :)

I have wondered what Uniqua is several times, I have even looked online to see and didn't find an answer. I have decided that she is just unique, hence the name. I too have wondered why Little Bear doesn't wear clothes when his parents do and why a 7 year old bunny runs her little brother all over the place but there are no parents anywhere.

I think Uniqua is an ant. I had discussion with some college educated people and this is what we collectively decided she was. Austin's comments are the same ones I think of.....I think it is the absurdity of the concept and then the lack of follow through on the concept that he is questioning.

Oh, how I remember the days of assorted kids cartoons. But now, now we have Elmo dvd's. Seemed like a good idea when I bought them. Baby loves Elmo, so you get him a doll and dvds, seems innocent. I don't need to tell you how fun Elmo is after the third, fourth, fifth... hour. "Dorothy, this is how I walk my dog. Dorothy, this is how I play with a baby. Dorothy, this is how I brush my teeth." I had to buy a dvd player for the toyroom tv because he would sit on the floor in my bedroom for hours watching Elmo and that seemed wrong(?). He doesn't know Elmo can be played on the family room tv or I'd never see The View, American Idol, Survivor, or any of the "good" tv shows:)

Uniqua is just that, unique. According to creator Janice Burgess, Uniqua is just her. “Uniqua is her name, and also her species – with her purple skin, pink spots, and dainty antennae, she doesn’t look like any other creature on the planet.”

A penguin, moose, kangaroo, and hippo who spontaneously sing and dance highly stylized choreography, only breaking for pudding cups and orange slices don't really have to explain their pink, horned companion.

Although on the subject of Spongebob, I've always wondered why he needed a tent when he went camping and it rained. And don't get me started on the campfire.

Glad y'all are feeling better! Hope it doesn't come back! I know with my daughter, we like to pass those little stomach bugs back and forth a few times before it completely leaves us.

As for the cartoon questions...Has anyone ever wondered how Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy breathe under water? They are obviously human. I mean Sandy has a dome and a suit. So that problem is solved, but Mermaid Man is OBVIOUSLY not a merman because of the legs...so what gives?

I ask all those questions too, the whole sponge bob thing really messes with me. As for Uniqua my sons sometimes say she's an ant or sometimes a pig, which if she was an ant and the same size as a hippo watch out. When I just asked my 3YO while explaining Pablo is a Penguian et all then asked What's Uniqua his respons? PINK! So there you have it.I do have a funny story about the name as well. My MIL was not to kean on my naming our baby girl Paisley, well my mom and I were being evil and coming up with horrible middle names (you know to make it "even worse"), my mom suggestion Uniqua. What do you think Paisley Uniqua kinda good huh? (I really hope none of my hubbys family reads this...)

1) Why is Goofy relatively equal to Mickey in terms of humanlike qualities, but Pluto is simply Mickey's dog, much like a human's dog? I mean, they are both dogs.

2) Why does Mickey "couple" with another mouse, Donald with another duck, but Goofy with... a cow? (Clarabelle)? Doesn't make sense to me either. Apparently before Goofy there was Horace Horsecollar (a horse)- ok I kind of get a horse and a cow matchup (maybe), but a dog and a cow?

I recently blogged about those and other ponderings on my site. Thankfully, my 2 year old takes shows at face value.

And now, I fear that you are going to write something about me on Sunday because of my own strange ponderings.

I always thought Uniqua was a snail. And I always wondered where her parents found overalls that were her exact colors in a reverse pattern.

And don't even get me started on Max and Ruby. I can't watch that show without wanting to spank that Max. That Ruby spends whole episodes nagging him, just spank him already!!! I've watched 2 whole episodes, one with a jewelry box that Max kept getting into. And one where they were supposed to clean Max's room and he made a bigger mess. Those were enough to get that whole show banned at my house.ConnieC

Ok, Either you posted all these comments at one time, or no one reads the posts before them.

My husband and I have talked about these things, as well, as we sit and try to keep our brains from melting from watching the same shows over and over. Personally, I like Stanley, on Disney, with the genius goldfish and the hilarious dog and cat.

A friend of mine called me one day and asked me where on earth were Dora's parents while her and that monkey were roaming the neighborhood unsupervised,lol. My guess is they are probably out with Diego's parents while he is out joyriding in the car!

I just asked my three oldest children where they think Max and Ruby's parents are. These are their answers.

Bell,7: "Maybe they don't show them, because they couldn't find any good enough actors to play their voices. But their Grandma is on a lot."Me: "Why do you think that is?"Bell: "Because maybe their parents are tall and Grandma is short"Roxy,6: "I don't know"Gabe,3.5: "They're on vacation"

I just would like to tell you how much I enjoy reading your blog. I raised 3 children (all adults now) and I can't tell you how many of your escapades I can relate to! Thank you for bringing back my memories which, at the time of event, were not always something to laugh about until now.

I also wanted to share information with you about a 'superfood' I found, use, and have had great results with. I'm NOT trying to sell it to you, just thought it may be something to look into. Go to: www.discoverlimu.com/naturallylimu This drink has helped my allergies, migraines and energy immensely. Hope you find the information useful.

Thanks so very much again. You're an excellent mom with a wonderful sense of humor. God has blessed you with much.

OH this is too funny! Just yesterday morning (no joke) my 5 year old and I were trying to figure it out too! What is Uniqua? I mean one of them is a hippo, another a penguin, another a moose but her ? oh and why were we watching Backyardigans? Both my son and I have been home sick with the Flu all week also! Lovely! Glad your household is on the mend :)

We love those shows here! I've always thought Uniqua was a beetle like shimmer on Miss Spiders Sunny Patch...

As for the parents on Max & Ruby - if you watch really carefully when they show scenes in the living room APPARENTLY there is a picture of the parents on the wall around the staircase. I caught a quick glimpse once but several boards on treehousetv.com swear it is there!

I asked my 5-year old what Uniqua was and without hesitation, he said she was an Iguana. LOL. I suspected she was her own species based on her name and others have confirmed that in their comments.

Austin sounds like me. If a movie is boring, I pick it apart my overanalyzing it. Drives my husband crazy. I said to him once, "You don't like watching movies with me, do you?" He replied, "No, I just don't like watching BAD movies with you." :)

I'm completely laughing at this post because I have asked everyone of those exact questions myself!!The one (albeit an old one) that always bugged me - Donald Duck - He doesn't wear pants, so why does he wrap a towel around his waist when he gets out of the tub? Things that make you go hmmmm....

We have asked many of these questions too! I think they do the crazy things on Sponge Bob to make the adults watch and laugh. We asked the kids about the fire and rain and falling etc and they look at us like we are crazy. Do your kids say Barnacles and Fishpaste too? I cannot believe all the people that have searched the web to find out who Uniqua is! Why can't Timmy Turner just wish Crocker and Vicki away?

How can Sponge Bob use a leaf blower under water?

Where does Sponge Bob get electricity from?

Why does Sponge Bob need running water?

How do they hear Squidward's clarinet so clearly under water?

HOw do they not get electicuted by using appliances?

Oooh, I could go on forever. Here is my psot about Sponge Bob - http://whatwuzisaying.blogspot.com/2008/02/top-ten-reasons.html

Those little details drive me nuts on Sponge Bob. Not that I watch, mind you.

Hey, do you put make-up on every day? How about your hair, do you fuss with it? How about your husband's hair, do you fuss with it? If not, I think you should start. He'd be flattered and then maybe excited and then your latest dream might come true. Oh my.

I thought Mr. Mac Gregor got Max and Ruby's parents. I guess rabbit kids can do OK on their own, unlike humans. Did you know almost all the Disney movies have kids with one or no parents? Think about it! Off hand I can only think of Mulan and the Dalmations having both parents. My daughter is one of those thinkers too. She asked why Peter Pumpkin eater couldn't keep his wife. Did she cheat on him? Did he beat her? Did she run away? It went on and on...from a 4 year old future social worker. Don't let your kid stay with grandmas who watch too many soaps!

my thing has always been...how can the little clock from beauty and the beast (i forget his name as it's 3:24 in the morning my time, however you KNOW i'll remember as soon as i go to bed!) can turn a door handle...i mean, he's what, about a foot and a half tall...and yet, the doorknob turns! my brother is convinced that this is because the doors are enchanted...however all of the enchanted things in the castle talk and are animated in some way, the DOORS are NOT included in this...so how does he get that doorknob turned?

hmmm, why does SpongeBob go to the beach? Why is there not a teacher/instructor in the Bring it On movies? Why do so many movie characters not get wet when it's pouring down rain? I think about these things too! Thanks for the laugh though.

My 2 y. old loves that show. She also, much to my chagrin, love Yo Gabba Gabba. Hmmm...WHY must you like something that shows little fat things going into your stomach along with broccoli and other edibles, dancing?

Well,I tried to have a conversation with my 4 year old teenager, Emmy. I asked her why Max and Ruby never had parents? It went like this.

"Mom,it is just a show it is not in the real world." Emmy went on to point out that her Daddy works all the time and if we did a show here that he would never be in it and that kids don't care if the parents are in the shows.

So, on that note I decided that she was able to deal with the crazy stories that seem to leave a lot of questions for us grown ups. I guess I watch too much Nick...

And, for the record, I'm just like Austin. I've asked all of the same questions, myself. To my kids though. I figure, they watch the crap all the time, they should know, right?So very wrong.They won't watch Dora with me in the room, because I'm likely to fly off on a tangent about what horrible parents Dora's mom and dad are and what are they doing while she's off carting the twins through the jungle with her little disease infested monkey-friend.

I agree though.. How CAN Spongebob go to the beach? It totally doesn't make sense that there is a shore when they're already underwater.

That's just the tip of the iceburg though ;).Ask me about my thoughts on Oobi sometime.

I think sometimes the creators of stories and shows don't show the parents of the main characters so that kids can vicariously practice being in charge and making decisions. And sometimes, grown-up characters get in the way of the story line. They try to take control and tell kids what to do, and really, what fun is that for kids to watch? They get that all the time in real life. This is their escape!

I am very bothered about Max and Ruby's parents never being there. I mean, is it trying to tell older sisters they have to be the parents of their younger siblings? That poor girl needs some play on her own time!

I also can't stand how Little bear and all his friends have no clothes, yet Emily and Little bear's parents wear clothes. Drives me nuts!